Governor Cuomo Announces Support from More Than 250 Local Elected Officials in Push to Cut Property Taxes

Outlines Proposal to Cut Property Taxes and Deliver Relief to Homeowners in Onondaga County

On Tuesday, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced support from more than 250 local elected officials for his plan to cut property taxes. The Governor also detailed his proposal to cut property taxes and encourage local governments to reduce costs earlier today at the Dewitt Community Room in Onondaga County.

“New York State cannot afford to be the tax capital of the nation any longer – our homeowners need real property tax relief,” Governor Cuomo said. “Building on the success of the property tax cap, this year’s budget includes more than $1 billion in property tax relief for New York’s homeowners. It also addresses the root cause of property tax growth by encouraging local governments to share services and reduce their financial impact on the taxpayer. Over the past few weeks we have heard from hundreds of local officials all across the State who recognize the need for property tax reform and have made their voices heard in support of this agenda. I urge the State legislature to stand with them by cutting property taxes this year, so that we can take the next step toward a more affordable and more prosperous New York.”

The Governor was joined at today’s event by Chris Haywood, an 11-year resident of Onondaga County.

Chris Haywood said, “As an 11-year resident of Onondaga County and a resident of Oneida County before that, I know firsthand how property taxes are impacting the budgets of working- and middle-class families in Upstate New York. This out-of-control tax burden cuts into how much my wife and I are able to spend on basic essentials like groceries, school supplies, and college funds for our four children. That is why I’m supporting the Governor’s proposal to cut property taxes. It will mean hundreds of dollars in savings to families like mine, and is something that the legislature needs to pass this year.”

Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney said, "We share the Governor's concern that New York's high property taxes are hindering growth in our community. We support Governor Cuomo's focus on bringing real property tax relief by encouraging government modernization."

Dewitt Town Supervisor Ed Michalenko said, “High property taxes are one of the leading reasons that people are being forced to leave the region and the state, and we must do something about them this year. The Governor’s plan to cut property taxes would help families in Central New York save hundreds of dollars on their tax bills, and it is something I fully support. Homeowners in Central New York should not be burdened by these excessively high tax rates any longer, and I stand with the Governor in calling on the State legislature to pass property tax reform this year.”

Onondaga County Legislator Danny Liedka said, “Like many other regions of the State, high property taxes in Onondaga County have stifled businesses and hurt our families, ultimately encouraging people to leave the State for lower-tax alternatives. We can’t allow this to continue, and that’s why I support the Governor’s plan to cut property taxes while incentivizing local governments to cut costs. His approach encourages local governments to reduce their impact on the taxpayer by reforming and shrinking the bureaucracy, and it will deliver badly needed tax relief to our property owners. The legislature must pass this proposal this year so we can continue rebuilding the economy and making Upstate New York affordable again.”

The Governor’s plan would freeze property taxes for two years in communities where the local government also takes steps to consolidate and share services, and would provide relief based on an individual homeowner’s ability to pay. During year two of the Governor’s freeze proposal, approximately 207,000 Central New York homeowners could benefit, with total savings of as much as $44 million and an average benefit of $215. Under the circuit breaker proposal, approximately 129,000 households will qualify for an average real property personal income tax credit of $375, totaling $48 million in savings to Central New York residents.

In addition to the individuals who spoke at today’s event in favor of the Governor’s push for property tax relief, the following local leaders have joined the ranks of elected officials from around the State in calling for property tax cuts this year:

FIRST NAME	LAST NAME	TITLE	MUNICIPALITY
Keith	Ahlstrom	Minority Leader	Chautauqua County Legislature
Edwin	Alvarez	Town Council Member	Town of Southeast
Robert	Anderson	Councilmember	City of Niagara Falls
Sarah	Anker	Legislator	Suffolk County Legislature
Tony	Arquiett	Legislator	St. Lawrence County Legislature
Paul	Aubertine	Councilman	Town of Cape Vincent
Paul	Backus	Board Member	Town of Canton
Barry	Baker	Board Member	Town of Arietta
Dave	Baker	Supervisor	Ontario County Board of Supervisors
Ted	Banta	Supervisor	Town of Cairo
Lorie	Barnum	Supervisor	Town of Irondequoit
Thomas	Barraga	Legislator	Suffolk County Legislature
Phil	Barrett	Supervisor	Town of Clifton Park
Tom	Basile	Councilmember	Town of Stony Point
Art	Bassin	Supervisor	Town of Ancram
Rollin	Beattie	Board Member	Town of Potsdam
Adam	Bello	Supervisor	Town of Irondequoit
Steve	Bellone	County Executive	Suffolk County
Brad	Bender	Councilman	Town of Southampton
Ron	Benedetti	Mayor	Village of Solvay
Jeffrey	Berkman	Minority Leader	Oranty County Legislature
Khalid	Bey	Councilor	City of Syracuse
Lori	Blackburn	Councilor	Town of Granby
Vincent	Bono	Chairman	Herkimer County Legislature
Catherine	Borgia	Majority Leader	Westchester County Legislature
George	Borrello	Chairman, Economic Development	Chautauqua County Legislature
Michael	Bowe	Councilor	City of Oneida
Noam	Bramson	Mayor	City of New Rochelle
Sallie	Brothers	Former Chairwoman	St. Lawrence County Legislature
Jim	Bunstone	Legislator	St. Lawrence County Legislature
Chris	Burdick	Supervisor	Town of Bedford
David	Button	Supervisor	Town of Canton
Rob	Calarco	Majority Leader	Suffolk County Legislator
Isidro	Cancel	Councilmember	Town of Haverstraw
Randy	Casale	Mayor	City of Beacon
Frank	Castiglia	Legislator	Oswego County Legislature
Frank	Catalina	Mayor	City of Peekskill
Tom	Catillaz	Trustee	Village of Saranac Lake
Jason	Chapin	Councilman	Town of New Castle
Joseph	Chiarenza Jr.	Councilor	Town of DeWitt
Carl	Chipman	Supervisor	Town of Rochester
Bonnie	Christian	Mayor	Village of South Nyack
Brett	Christy	Councilman	Town of Pomfret
J. Michael	Cindrich	Mayor	Village of Mount Kisco
Jason	Clark	Legislator	St. Lawrence County Legislature
Drew	Claxton	Councilmember	City of Peekskill
Greg	Cole	School Board Memeber	Silver Creek
Thomas	Constantine	Legislator	Schenectady County Legislature
Billy	Coughlin	Former County Legislator	Chautauqua County
John	Cregg	Trustee	Village of Solvay
Jose	Cruz	Board Member	Rochester City School Board
Robert	Cullen	Council Member	Town of Southeast
Ed	Day	County Executive	Rockland County
Ed	DeJaneiro	Legislator	Genesee County Legislature
Dave	Denenberg	Legislator	Nassau County Legislature
Carla	DeShaw	Mayor	Village of Canastota
Joe	Destefano	Mayor	City of Middletown
Jack	Diamond	Mayor	City of Glens Falls
Roy	Diamond	Legislator	Montgomery County Legislature
Curlie	Dillard	Legislator	Orange County Legislature
AJ	Dolce	Mayor	City of Dunkirk
Rick	Donah	Trustee	Village of Tupper Lake
Rick	Donah	Trustee	Village of Tupper Lake
Tom	Donnelly	Councilman	Town of Babylon
Jack	Dooling	Town Board Member	Town of DeWitt
John	Dougherty	Legislator	Onondaga County Legislature
Randy	Douglas	Chairman	Essex County Board of Supervisors
John	Duchessi	Legislator	Montgomery County Legislature
Daniel	Dwyer	Mayor	City of Rensselaer
Sam	Dyer	Chairman	Clinton County Legislature
Paul	Dyster	Mayor	City of Niagara Falls
Cora	Edwards	Legislator	Sullivan County Legislature
Tracey	Edwards	Councilwoman	Town of Huntington
Charlie	Evangelista	Supervisor	City of Geneva
Malik	Evans	Board Member	Rochester City School Board
Dan	Farfaglia	Legislator	Oswego County Legislature
Paul	Feiner	Supervisor	Town of Greenburgh
Bill	Ferebee	Vice Chairman/ Town Supervisor	Essex County Board of Supervisors/ Town of Keene
Tony	Fiala	Legislator	Broome County Legislature
Goeff	Finn	Supervisor	Town of Stony Point
Mark	Fleming	Legislator	Rensselear County Legislature
Maureen	Fleming	Supervisor	Town of Kent
Bridget	Fleming	Councilwoman	Town of Southampton
Richard	Fontana	Council Member	Buffalo Common Council
Doug	Foster	Trustee	Village of Nyack
Jamie	Frank	Town Board Member	Town of DeWitt
Carl	Fulgenzi	Town Council Member	Town of Mount Pleasant
Joseph	Fusco	Mayor	City of Rome
Shayne	Gallo	Mayor	City of Kingston
Vincent	Gamboli	Councilmember	Town of Haverstraw
Larry	Gardiner	Legislator	Greene County Legislature
Phil	Giardino	Board Member	Town of Fine
Norma	Gonslaves	Presiding Officer	Nassau County Legislature
Adelino	Gonzalez	Councilmember	Town of Dunkirk
Jacqueline	Gordon	Councilwoman	Town of Babylon
John	Gould, Sr	Councilmember	Town of Haverstraw
Cindy	Gowiski	Supervisor	Town of Birdsall
Kristin	Grandenetti	Councilwoman	Niagara County Legislature
DuWayne	Gregory	Presiding Officer	Suffolk County Legislature
Peter	Grimm	Minority Leader	Rensselear County Legislature
Alex	Gromack	Supervisor	Town of Clarkstown
Matt	Haag	Councilmember	Rochester City Council
Kara	Hahn	Legislator	Suffolk County Legislature
Wayne	Hall	Mayor	Village Hempstead
Don	Hammond	Trustee	Village of Nyack
Peter	Harckham	Legislator	Westchester County Legislature
Karl	Hax	Mayor	Village of Pulaski
Bob	Hayssen	Chair	Seneca County Board of Supervisors
Mike	Hein	County Executive	Ulster County
Hugh	Hill	Trustee	Village of Malone
Shawn	Hogan	Mayor	City of Hornell
Elizabeth	Hudak	Council Member	Town of Southeast
William "Billy"	Hughes	Supervisor- Hudson- 4th Ward	Columbia County Board of Supervisors
Gary	Hughes	Majority Leader	Schenectady County Legislature
Anthony	Jasenski	Chairman	Schenectady County Legislature
Jude	Jean-Francois	Alderman	City of Middletown
Ken	Jenkins	Legislator	Westchester County Board of Legislators
Barbara	Jeter-Jackson	Minority Leader	Dutchess County Legislature
Todd	Johnson	Supervisor	Town of Hanover
Paul	Johnson	Alderman	City of Middletown
Cindy	Kaleh	Legislator	Monroe County Legislature
Stephen	Keefe	Mayor	Village of Fredonia
Tim	Kelly	Board Member	Town of Pamelia
Warren	Kelly	Trustee	Village of Silver Creek
Judy	Kennedy	Mayor	City of Newburgh
Pat	Kilmartin	Legislator	Onondaga County Legislature
Margaret "Peggy"	King	President	City of Schenectady City Council
Stephanie	Kiyak	Councilwoman	City of Dunkirk
Dave	Knapp	Legislator	Onondaga County Legislature
Lynn	Kopka	City Council Member-At Large	Troy City Council
Al	Krupski	Legislator	Suffolk County Legislator
Michael	Kunzwiler	Minority Leader	Oswego County Legislature
Susan	Labuhn	Legislator	Cattaraugus County Legislature
Tom	Latimer	Supervisor	Town of Pierrepont
Tim	Lattimore	Legislator	Cayuga County Legislature
LeeAnn	Lazarony	Mayor	Town of Cassadaga
Larry	Legault	Supervisor	Town of Louisville
Harry	Lennon	Legislator	Greene County Legislature
Kevin	Lennon	Legislator	Greene County Legislature
Timothy	Levison	Trustee	Village of Norwood
Danny	Liedka	Legislator	Onondaga County Legislature
William	Lindsay	Legislator	Suffolk County Legislature
Paula	Mahan	Supervisor	Town of Colonie
Joanie	Mahoney	County Executive	Onondaga County
Joseph	Maiurano	Mayor	City of Norwich
Patricia	Manchester	Supervisor	Town of Fort Covington
Howard	Maneely	Supervisor	Town of Malone
Edward	Mangano	County Executive	Nassau County
Kerry	Mannion	Town Board Member	Town of DeWitt
Marty	Mannix	Board Member	Town of Plattsburgh
Nader	Maroun	Councilor	City of Syracuse
Jack	Marren	Chair	Ontario County Board of Supervisors
Carole	Marsh	Supervisor	Town of Pompey
Peter	Martin	Supervisor, Saratoga Springs	Saratoga County Board of Supervisors
Tony	Martinez	Deputy Supervisor	Town of Babylon
Joan	Maybury	Supervisor	Town of Mount Pleasant
Colleen	McCabe	Legislator	Broome County Legislature
Gary	McCarthy	Mayor	City of Schenectady
Dan	McCoy	County Executive	Albany County
Ronald	Mcdougall	Mayor	Village of Gouverneur
James	McFaddin	Mayor	Village of Norwood
J. Ryan	McMahon	Chairman	Onondaga County Legislature
Wm Keith	McNall	Legislator	Niagara County Legislature
John	Merwin	Supervisor	Town of Northeast
Mike	Michalski	Councilman	City of Dunkirk
Ed	Michelanko	Supervisor	Town of DeWitt
Kevin	Millar	Mayor	Village of Owego
Marjorie	Miller	Supervisor	Town of Middletown
Marc	Molinaro	County Executive	Dutchess County
John	Mootooveren	CouncilMember	City of Schenectady City Council
Gerald	Morrow	Town Supervisor	Town of Chesterfield
Jake	Mulcahey	County Legislator	Oswego County Legislature
Steve	Neuhaus	County Executive	Orange County
Ernie	Odierna	Deputy Supervisor and Councilmember	Town of Mamaroneck
Matthew	Ossenfort	County Executive	Montgomery County
Janet	Otto-Cassada	Mayor	Village ofWaddington
Carla	Palumbo	Councilmember	Rochester City Council
Catherine	Parker	Legislator	Westchester County Legislature
Don	Peck	Legislator	St. Lawrence County
Leesa	Perazzo	City Council Member	City of Schenectady
Leonard	Perfetti	Councilman	Town of Union
Charles	Pernice	Supervisor	Town of Norfolk
Victoria	Perotti	Supervisor	Town of Amenia
Frank	Petrone	Supervisor	Town of Huntington
Howard	Phillips	Supervisor	Town of Haverstraw
Anthony	Picente	County Executive	County of Oneida
Carmen	Pineyro	Supervisor	Village of Freeport
Michael	Plochocki	Legislator	Onondaga County Legislature
Ellen	Polimeni	Mayor	City of Canadaigua
Randy	Preston	Supervisor	Town of Wilmington
Anthony	Purol	Trustee	Village of Silver Creek
Jonathan	Putney	Chairman	St. Lawrence County Legislature
Tom	Quackenbush	Chairman	Montgomery County Legislature
Clyde	Rabideau	Mayor	Village of Saranac Lake
Cathy	Race	Mayor	Village of Hermon
Kathy	Rapp	Legislator	Onondaga County Legislature
Daniel	Reynolds	County Legislator	Broome County Legislature
Barbara	Rice	Legislator, Trustee	Franklin County, Village of Saranac Lake
Bill J.	Rivera	Councilman	City of Dunkirk
Tom	Roach	Mayor	City of White Plains
Van	Robinson	Common Council President	City of Syracuse
J. Miguel	Rodrigues	City Council President	Town of Middletown
Rod	Rogers	School Board Memeber	Forestville CSD
Lou	Rosamilia	Mayor	City of Troy
H Bruce	Russell	Supervisor	Town of Bellmont
Chris	Ryan	Legislator	Onondaga County Legislature
Marie	Schadt	Legislator	Oswego County Legislature
Laura	Schaefer	Legislator	Nassau County Leg.
Rich	Schaffer	Supervisor	Town of Babylon
Jay	Schneiderman	Deputy Presiding Officer	Suffolk County Legislator
Thomas	Scozzafava	Town Supervisor	Town of Moriah
Vincent	Seeley	Legislator	Greene County Legislature
Dave	Seeley	Town Board Member	Town of Irondequoit
Nancy	Seligson	Supervisor	Town of Mamaroneck
Irena	Skrobach	Councilwoman	Town of Irondequoit
Jim	Smith	Board Member	Town of Canton
A. Max	Smith	Mayor	City of Oneida
Sonde	Somers	Alderwoman	City of Middletown
Hector	Soto	Councilman	Town of Haverstraw
Al	Spain	Supervisor	Town of East Greenbush
Mike	Spano	Mayor	City of Yonkers
William	Spencer	Legislator	Suffolk County Legislature
Reginald	Spinello	Mayor	City Glen Cove
Owen	Steed	Legislator	Niagara County Legislature
Steven	Stern	Legislator	Suffolk County Legislature
Jennifer	Stevenson	Councilmember	City of Ogdensburg
Andy	Stewart	Supervisor	Town of Orangetown
Erin	Sullivan Teta	City Council Member	City of Troy
Stacey	Szukala	Councilmember	City of Dunkirk
Todd	Tancredi	Supervisor	Town of Poughkeepsie
Judy	Tassone	Legislator	Onondaga County Legislature
Anna	Throne-Holst	Supervisor	Town of Southampton
Brian	Tobin	Mayor	City of Cortland
Andy	Touma	Councilman	Niagara Falls City Council
Amy	Tressider	County Legislator	Oswego County Legislature
Paul	VanCott	Trustee	Village of Saranac Lake
Dennis	Virtuoso	Legislator	Niagara County Legislature
Rosemarie	Walker	Legislator	Nassau County Legislature
Charles	Walker	Chairman	Niagara Falls City Council
Jean	Walsh	Supervisor	Town of Rosendale
Sean	Walter	Supervisor	Town of Riverhead
Michael	Warren	Supervisor	Town of Marbletown
Van	White	President	Rochester City School Board
Jennifer	White	Mayor	Village of Nyack
Justin	Wilcox	Legislator	Monroe County Legislature
Ed	Williamson	Supervisor	Town of Granby
Alden	Wolfe	Chairman	Rockland County Legislature
Mark	Woods	Treasurer	Town of Dunkirk
JoAnn	Yepsen	Mayor	City of Saratoga Springs
Ted	Young	Mayor	Village of Waterloo
Jason	Zona	Legislator	Niagara County Legislature

Property Tax Freeze

The property tax freeze is a two year proposal that is designed to incentivize local governments to share services and reduce their financial burden on the taxpayer. New Yorkers will be eligible for property tax relief in the first year of the freeze if their local governments stay within the property tax cap. During the second year, the freeze will continue to provide relief to New Yorkers if their local governments remain within the property tax cap and also pursue concrete steps to consolidate, share services, and ultimately reduce costs. When fully implemented, the freeze would result in tax relief of up to $1 billion from local governments and school districts, with an average benefit of $354 for as many as 2.8 million taxpayers.

Circuit Breaker Based on Ability to Pay

Currently, as many as two million low- and middle-income New Yorkers pay an effective real property tax rate relative to income that exceeds their income tax rate. The Governor’s circuit breaker proposal would create a progressively distributed tax credit in order to provide relief based on an individual homeowner’s ability to pay. When fully implemented, the circuit breaker would provide approximately two million New Yorkers with an average benefit of $500.

“No Excuses”

Just two weeks ago, the Governor launched the “No Excuses” push to help pass his proposed property tax cuts. The initiative includes a website (http://cutpropertytaxes.ny.gov/), testimonial from elected officials, advocacy groups, and homeowners who are burdened by high tax rates. The Governor is also urging New Yorkers to contact their legislators to make their voices heard. Click here to watch a video marking the start of the “No Excuses” initiative (for TV stations, a high-definition version can be downloaded here).